A Few Recipes From Our B&B Cookbook

Streusel:

• Use one package of graham crackers, (9 full ones)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick and 3 T melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups pecans 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Put your graham crackers in a Ziploc bag, close it and roll with rolling pin until crushed, put in large bowl.  Add other dry ingredients.  Melt butter pour over and mix thoroughly.  Set aside. 

Cake:

• 1 box (18 1/4 oz) white cake or French vanilla cake mix
• 1 box of instants (3.12oz) French vanilla pudding
• 4 eggs                                               
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 cup water 

Beat together until thoroughly mixed.  Pour half into a greased 13X9X2 baking pan.  Sprinkle with half of the streusel mixture.  Carefully spread the remaining batter on top of the streusel and then top with remaining streusel. If using an aluminum pan bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  If using a dark pan bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.  I've tried this several different ways and it actually bakes better with less brown edges in the aluminum pan for a longer time.  Insert toothpick for final test. This is the only coffee cake I've ever made that tastes as good the second day or freezes well and can be served when thawed.  Of course you lose the smell that a hot coffee cake right out of the oven provides.  I usually drizzle icing on top made from powered sugar and milk.  Yields 12 to 16 servings. 

• 1 large can chuck pineapple, drained
• Strawberries
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 1 quart cubed bread
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup butter 
• 1/2 cup milk

Cream butter, sugar, then beat in eggs. Add pineapple, milk and bread cubes and stir until mixed. Pour into a 9X13X2 pan that's been sprayed with vegetable spray. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour. I usually cut the pineapple into slightly smaller chunks, although crushed pineapple is too fine. 

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 can 8oz sliced mushrooms, drained 
• 1 1/2 doz eggs slightly beaten
• 8.8 ounce can evaporated milk 
• 3/4 lbs shaved ham, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup 

In a large skillet, melt butter, add eggs. Scramble until barely cooked. Sprinkle ham into bottom of buttered 9X13X2 pan. Pour eggs over ham. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients and pour over eggs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, serve.  Keeps in the refrigerator two days before baking. Can be reheated slowly.

Heat oven to 400. Mix flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter, using pastry blender until mixture looks like fine crumbs. Stir in nuts. Stir in maple syrup, egg and just enough of the 2 tablespoons of milk so the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 10 times. Pat or roll into an 8 inch circle on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with additional milk. Sprinkle with topping. Cut into 8 or 10 wedges, but don't separate. 

Bake 16 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and separate wedges. Serve warm plain or with butter or honey butter. 

Apple Pork Brunch Pie

Kathy's Note:  What is nice about this recipe is you can make as little or as much as you would like. Plus it freezes well. You can make an 8" pie (serves 6 easily) or 9 to 10" pie (serves 8 to 10 easily) or little individual oval Pyrex ramekins. Once made they can be baked or frozen and baked later. For speed on a busy morning you can mix dry ingredients ahead of time.

Crust: 
• 1 pound lard                                        • cold milk 
• 6 cups flour                                         • 1 beaten egg yolk 
• 2 teaspoons of salt 

Cut lard, flour and salt into each other using a pastry blender. Then divide up in 2 or 3 containers and place in the refrigerator. This will keep for months and will make 2 to 3 pies. When ready to make one take out one container and pour into a cold bowl and stir in with a fork enough cold milk to form a ball and leave the sides of the bowl. Divide into 2 pieces, roll out on a floured surface and place in the bottom of the pastry dish. Fill with filling below, then roll out rest of pie dough and top. Brush the top with beaten egg yolk. Cut a few slits. I take the left over rolled out dough and cut hearts out of it for "romance package guests" or cookie cutters of leaves for others. Place cut outs on top of the top crust. The crust with the egg yolk brushed on becomes a deep golden brown while the cut outs will remain lighter letting them stand out better. 

Filling: 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• granny smith apples sliced thin
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 16oz package of bulk pork sausage for an 8" pie or 4 ramekins
• 1/3 cup flour 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon    
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix dry ingredients above well. This is plenty for a 9 to 10" pie. I usually double this and store in a plastic bag. When I make an 8 " pie or individual little ramekins I use just what I need to heavily coat the apples. Use 2 1/2 to 3 apples for a 9 to 10 " pie, 2 for an 8" pie and half an apple for each individual pie. Brown sausage and onion together. Drain well placing the browned sausage in a sieve and pressing on it with a spoon. Put a layer of the sausage mixture on the bottom of the pie dough. Place a layer of coated apples on top of it, then more sausage and finish with another layer of apples before placing the top pie crust on. Fold and roll the top edge under the lower edge, pressing on the rim to seal. Flute edges. Bake for 30 minutes at 425 then reduce temperature to 350 and bake another 30 minutes. 

Note: To save time you can use premade crusts found in the refrigerator section of your grocery store.

Strawberries, Sour Cream, and Brown Sugar

For a fast morning fruit plate, or for desert after a heavy meal, nothing beats strawberries picked out of your garden, sour cream and brown sugar. Rinse the strawberries well. If large, hull and slice in half and use a fork to eat. If not large, leave the green stem on and dip and eat by hand instead of using a fork. Place strawberries on a plate or in a sorbet cup along with a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar and the same amount of sour cream. Garnish with a piece of curly mint or an edible flower. When eating dip the strawberries first into the sour cream then the sugar. Eat and smile.